Arsenal fans have come together to heap praise on Gabriel Martinelli, labelling the youngster as the club’s most impressive summer signing.
The 18-year-old arrived from Ituano in a deal worth £6 million, with the Gunners fending off interest from 20 other sides in the race for the Brazilian’s services.
Since then, Martinelli has received two starts for the Gunners, scoring braces in the wins over Nottingham Forest and Standard Liege.
The forward has also made cameo appearances from the bench in the Premier League wins against Newcastle United and Bournemouth, but it’s been his displays in the cup that have really caught the eye.
And when Arsenal fan account @DailyAFC asked supporters who they’ve been most impressed with out of the five first-team summer additions, the Brazilian was the overwhelming favourite.
Twitter: @DailyAFC Martinelli (@Kiaero)
Twitter: @DailyAFC Martinelli (@Gooner_Echo3)
Twitter: @DailyAFC @TheUnaiView Martinelli. Tierney has looked great too, but I was expecting that (@tomwilkinson84)
Twitter: @DailyAFC Martinelli (@epidinemuri)
Twitter: @DailyAFC Martinelli. No need to explain (@terryrob50)
Twitter: @DailyAFC Gabriel Martinelli (@Carahdiene)
But could the teenager turn out to be one of Arsenal’s best-ever signings?
Read Arsenal verdict
The early signs have been extremely promising, and in today’s market, a £6 million move seems a bargain.
What makes the deal even sweeter is that he trained with rivals Manchester United on four occasions over a two-year period before the Red Devils decided against signing him.
If he can continue his excellent form in the Gunners’ cup competitions, it could result in a regular Premier League starting spot.
From there, Martinelli could then establish himself as an Arsenal star, and in years to come, we could be looking back at the move as one of the club’s greatest ever deals.
